Gift to help wounded veteran call York County home

Sergeant LeRoy Watkins and his family are from Enid, Oklahoma. LeRoy and his wife Angie have family from Pennsylvania, but neither expected to call York County home.

Wells Fargo Mortgage and the Military Warriors Support Foundation donated a mortgage-free home to Watkins. He retired from the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 2013 after serving three tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Watkins was injured after an IED exploded while he was on a convoy patrol and wounded during a firefight in Afghanistan. He is still recovering from those injuries and he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

“It is an awesome place coming from Oklahoma,” Watkins said. “To come here is a blessing.”

Watkins, who also suffered brain damage, was told by doctors that he would never be able to complete college algebra and get a degree of significance. He earned an associates degree and will enroll at Penn State University.

Watkins says the new home is a blessing that will allow him and his family to start a new chapter together.